Platen-actuating mechanism for brick machines and the like



Oct. 5 1926. 1,601,851 I E. D. CHURCH ET AL PLATEN ACTUATING MECHANISM FOR BRICK MACHINES AND THE LIKE Filed May 10, 1922 A 'I'TUR NE Y Patented Oct. 5, 1926.

warren STATES tarsal PATENT OFFICE.

EDGAR D. CHURCH AND FRANK S. LASH, OF SAGINAW, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNORS TO JACKSON 86 CHURCH COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF MICEIGAN.

PLATEN-ACTUATING MECHANISM FOR BRICK MACHINES AND THE LIKE.

Application filed May 10, 1922. Serial No. 559,930.

This invention relates to brick machines and the like, as for example, sand lime brick presses of the type having a platen which is revolvable in a step by step movement and plungers adapted to be forced into plunger pockets radially disposed in the platen and containing the material to be pressed.

lievolvable platens of this general type have heretofore been operated by rocking gears or segmental gears which, intermittently actuate the platen through suitable pulley and ratchet drives, the rocking 01' segmental gear being driven by pitman and crank connection to the main shaft of the brick press.

An object of our present improvement is to provide a new type of platen drive mechanism for machines of the general character referred to, the platen drive mechanism being operated by the usual pitman and adapted to attain the objects of our invention. I

These objects are, first, to reduce wear on the reciprocating parts and to lessen the cost of repairs and maintenance by reducing wear on the teeth of the gears that drive the platen. I

A further object is to improve the accuracy of operation of the machine and make the machine easier running by so constructing the platen drive mechanism as to eliminate the tendency of the working parts to wear in their bearings and become loose or get out of line.

A still further object is, by a new combination and arrangement of parts, to make the machine much stronger without unduly increasing its weight and to so arrange the working parts as to render them easily accessible for removal when replacement becomes necessary.

Nith the foregoing and certain other ob jects in view 'which will appear later in the specification, our invention comprises the devices described and claimed and the equivalents thereof.

Iii-the drawings, Fig. l is a part vertical section of the platen mechanism.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary side view of the oscillating spider and the bevel gear which is driven by the spider.

As is clearly shown in the drawings, 1 in dicates the usual revolving platen of a brick press, or any other type of machine having an intermittently revolvable platen. 2 1ndicates one of the plunger pockets formed in the platen. The details of the mounting of the platen and of the operating plungers are not shown in the drawing, as they do not form part of our present improvement, which consists in the means which will now be described for imparting to the platen l intermittent rotating movement which in practice takes place between the successive operations of the plungers in the pockets 2.

In applying our improvement, we provide a bevel gear 3 on the platen 2, this gear being an annular toothed ring bolted or otherwise secured to the rim flange of the platen, preferably on the under side of the flange.

4: is a bevel gear carried by a horizontal shaft and meshing with gear 8.

Alongside of bevel gear Preferably the spider 6 is actuated by the pitman in a rocking movement through an angle of approximately The back-and-forth oscillating movement of the spider 6 is translated into intermittent revolving movement of gear 3 and platen l by means of a radially projecting spring pressed latch 8 mounted on spider 6 and adapted to releasably engage a stop 9 on gear 4:.

In practice we prefer to provide a plurality of such latches, the number of latches corresponding to the part of a complete circle represented by the angle of oscillation of spider 6, that is, if the spider oscillates through an angle of ninety degrees, or a quarter of a circle, there would be four stops 9 on the gear at and preferably four latches 8 on spider 6. I

In practice, if it is desired to turn the platen 1 through an angle of sixty degrees at each OPQIELtlOIl,'W6 prefer to make gear 4: of such diameter with respect to the diameter of gear 3 that the proper angle of movement, say, sixty degrees,rwill be imparted to platen 1 when the spider 6 is 4 and independ-. ently revolvable with respect to gear f is a p is normally pressed outward by a coinpres sion spriig ll, the pressure oi which may be adjusted by a bolt 12- in the usual rna gear 3, spider 6 wear, we prefer 4: on a bushing the hub ll of and the bore o spider we provide a second bushing if), as shown in Fig. l.

Annular oil retaining paeliings 1? l 18 are provided at the two ends t ie iub 15 of spider 6.

To hold the latches S in alignment. ve prete ably secure an annular rin, taco of gear l, the ring being removable to permit access to the latches for purposes oi renewal in case of breakage.

By the rneans above described, we produced a mechanism adapted to be actuated by the usual reciprocating pitnian of a brick press or similar machine and adapted to in'ipart intermittent rotary inoveinent to the platen Without undue wear either on the teeth or the platen actuating the o utside of we L'WQGD. the hub gears or upon the operating parts of the platen drive mechanism.

In the event of a latch becoming inoperative any one or all of the remaining latches will still function and the operation of the n chine will not be interfered With.

The alignment of the drive gears is maintained for a long period of operation by means of the long bearing arrangement of the hubs of the gear and spider on the shaft {5 and wear the rubbing parts is greatly reduced by the employment of the internie bushings heretofore described.

Having thus described our invention, What weclain'i and desii to secure by letters Patent actuating mechanism includ- ;ent grip device comprising having an internal cam on the rim 1 a liner on the hub of said gear, a revolvable on said liner and adapted to back-and-torth oscillating niovenient and a radially disposed spring-actuated latch ca ied by said spider and engaging the cam oi s gear.

it platen actuating mechanism for \I 1- achines coi'i'iprising in combination ar, a spider coaxial with said gear and lvably mounted on the hub thereof and ed to bach-end-t'orth oscillatory movement thereon a raoiall dis aosed $31111 7 b pressed latch carried by said spider, a cam he run 01" said gear, said cam adapted to be rcleasably engaged by said latch, and

a sto i mg an abrupt face on said cani.

tiinony whereof, we allix our signa- EDGAR D. CHURCH. FRANK S. LASH. 

